VANILLA ROOIBOS LATTE WITH WARM SPICES

February 6th, 2016

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Happy weekend! I’ve got a warm, lightly spiced, caffeine-free mug of coziness to set the tone. We kinda went wild with some minor house repairs, painting, installs, and a top-to-bottom clean last weekend, so we’re taking it eeeeaaaaasy for this one. We’re hopping over to ‘Merica for an afternoon to pick up a few things–mostly vegan mayo, my fave Trader Joe’s serrano salsa, and other junky-but-not-totally-junky kinda foods. But also to source some decent, natural sunscreen for our Hawaii trip because I always have problems with that on our side of the border (go figure). Do any of you have a go-to brand? Sunday is gonna be spent snacking and watching a certain sporting event. I’m planning on making some epic vegan pizza with tons of olives, hot peppers, and pine nut parmesan, hummus and veggies, and maaaaaybe some of that buffalo-sauced cauliflower that everyone keeps going on about. Go team! ;) xo

While we’re on the subject of Trader Joe’s, some silly non-strategies for making the most of your shopping trips there.

More love for pulses. A saviour to your health AND the land we’re here to look after. Have you taken the Pulse Pledge yet? :)

We watched Babe the other night (cried like a baby obviously–the part where he says “I want my mom” = the ugliest crying humanly imaginable). I started following this Instagram account the next day and now, adopting a brood of pigs doesn’t seem like such a faraway dream.

“The stories are so real and the stuff looks so creepy.” A day in the life of a magician and seance medium in residency.

Is souping really the new juicing? I’m not a cleanse or detox type, but I feel like I could get down with this if I had to.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////VANILLA ROOIBOS TEA LATTE W/ WARM SPICES RECIPEPrint the recipe here!Serves: 1Notes: Rooibos is my favourite variety of tea. It’s naturally sweet, caffeine-free, and apparently it helps with iron absorption too, which can never hurt for the plant-inclined. Because of the natural sweetness and a slight nutty edge, it makes a perfect latte. I do this up with coconut milk, warm spices and extra vanilla (in addition to the vanilla imbued rooibos that I start with). It’s so cozy and comforting to sip.

In your serving mug, brew the rooibos tea in the boiling water for at least 3 minutes.

In a small saucepan over medium, bring the plant milk, date, coconut butter, cinnamon, and vanilla extract to a light boil. Carefully transfer the milk mixture to your blender and blitz on high for 20 seconds or so.

Pour the frothy warm milk mixture over the tea. Sprinkle a little cinnamon and nutmeg over the top. You can leave the teabag in or take it out. Rooibos only gets better with longer steeping time.

I was going to make the same recommendation! Supergoop Mineral Sunscreen SPF 40 is my daily facial sunblock and it’s fabulous (goes on sheer even on a dark complexion, no smell, not sticky, no breakouts) and they also make a more waterproof body formula!ReplyCancel

Rachel06/02/2016 - 11:29 am

I second supergoop. The mineral/sensitive skin formulation is what I use. I bought mine online though; I haven’t seen it in stores.

I just wanted to give you a shoutout, Laura! I’m not vegan, but your blog is helping me (and my man, by proxy) eat a more plan based diet and I’m loving it! I especially love your most accessible, weeknight-type meals. And your peanut buttery/green smoothie has been on repeat. Cheers!ReplyCancel

Thanks so much, Rachel! So glad that you’re enjoying the recipes and that they’re helping you guys eat more plant-based. The weeknight meals are my favourite, too :)
-LReplyCancel

Meghan06/02/2016 - 11:37 am

Thanks for the great recipe! Id recommend Arbonne sunscreen! I love mine! It’s vegan and uses zinc instead of a ton of parables and rubs in better than any sunscreen I’ve ever had. It’s not sold in stores, their website is http://www.arbonne.com. (Everything from Arbonne is vegan and cruelty free!)ReplyCancel

Ah love those interviews Laura! “I need a teenager to hang out with me and show me the ropes” on snapchat cracked me up (**laughing crying emoji**) I feel the same way. And HAWAII. So so stoked for you girl! You deserve some R&R. Have a chill weekend and enjoy your snacks this Sunday! xoReplyCancel

I am a diehard devotee of Avasol sunblock. Make sure you get the vegan version though (sans emu oil). Completely natural and biodegradable (won’t kill the reef!). I live in Hawaii, spend hours surfing, and this is the best stuff I’ve found. Have a wonderful time!ReplyCancel

Love your mouthwatering recipes!♡ How can one person be so talented? I really like the way how you take your photos and how you write I can spend hours reading your blog. Thanks for the great inspiration (:
Love F&MReplyCancel

[…] house smell incredible and it tastes amazing paired with warm turmeric milk or even a home-made tea latte! If you want to be extra wild you could probably dunk this bad boy in your coffee, which I plan on […]ReplyCancel

[…] all about quality ingredients for the rest on this recipe gotten off Laura Wright’s The First Mess blog. I was lucky enough to have a recent trip to Abu Dhabi where I bought incredible cinnamon, coconut […]ReplyCancel